Thakkar

As usual, I am late to the party, I know. Sigh...always the bridesmaid, never the bride.

Still, putting it out there:

I think * I * should be Poster of the Year.

I've recently changed my name to "Null Votes", if that helps.

Oh, look! I'm already second runner up.

BTW, here's a pic of me and my car, having an intimate moment just before going off to save the world.

T

Be careful Thakkar..There is one member on the look out for infringements of copyright and truth in photo portrayals.

I'm 100% sure this is you though.

Good work Double O

*copyleft asserted: https://gnu.org/copyleft/copyleft.en.html

T

At this late stage, there will be no changes to the Poll.

Participation is a choice not an obligation. If you wish to no longer participate, just dont open this topic/thread. Move on.

Let there be an end to the bickering please.

I just made some fresh popcorn.

T

As usual, I am late to the party, I know. Sigh...always the bridesmaid, never the bride.

Still, putting it out there:

I think * I * should be Poster of the Year.

I've recently changed my name to "Null Votes", if that helps.

Oh, look! I'm already second runner up.

BTW, here's a pic of me and my car, having an intimate moment just before going off to save the world.

T

Seasonal fun fest,

Friendly contest

Commencing quite polite,

Is now a cat fight.

Do carry on...

I'll get the popcorn.

T

I'm not so much starting a discussion as begging for urgent action. Please sign the Amnesty Int'l petition and spread this, especially to influential people you may know. Thanks.

http://boingboing.net/2015/08/28/male-council-in-india-orders-s.html

An all-male council in India has ordered that two sisters, ages 15 and 23, be raped and paraded in public with blackened faces because their brother eloped with a married woman.

Amnesty International has launched a petition but they've been told that the "decision is final."

The amnesty page to sign the petition:

https://www.amnesty.org.uk/actions/two-sisters-sentenced-rape-demand-justice-india-womens-rights

Thanks to all.

Why not just boil the kettle, put the coffee, sugar, creamer into the cup, pour in the boiling water,

give it a good stir, and your coffee is ready, simples.

<snip>

T

The Pattaya area ones should be "interesting"

Penicillin tablets with Pattays City stamp?

T

I write my posts out in longhand in a notebook. Then shuffle over to my computer, crank it up, double click on a browser icon, type http://thaivisa.com into the URL box in my browser, click on "forums" and scroll down to the appropriate forum, then to the appropriate topic and type out the contents of my notebook page.

It's such a hassle, most of the stuff in my notebook I never bother to post. Instead, I just give myself some likes and stick a gold star in the corner of the page.

This explains why, after being a member for ten years, I have a post count of a mere 2k+

But you should see my notebooks...I'm a remarkably well-liked prolific poster there.

T

For most businesses, the most difficult part is getting the customer in the door. Once they're in and you fail to make money off them, the problem is in the way you run your business, not the customer.

Anything that smacks of penalisation, as in the of the Bon Cafè news story, is a bad businesses move. It subtly antagonises even the customers who don't stay long. It makes your business look unfriendly to all the other customers (which is most of your customers) who aren't abusing the place. As the much-aggrieved business owner you might think that surely these reasonable people would understand why you have to do this, but why should they? They have their own life problems; they don't care about your problems.

There are many subtle ways to discourage free-loading. Charging, or even threatening to charge 1000 baht an hour isn't one.

If you want to know how, please buy my book: The Secret Art of Subtle Arsehollery.

T

Herbal medicine has been around for thousands of years, and indeed it has. Scientists tested a lot of it, and the stuff that worked became "medicine." :

T

There's a lot of talk on this thread about having an open mind. I pride myself in having one. That is why I have never stopped learning and am happy to discard previously held beliefs, if warranted.

I think people misunderstand what it means to "have an open mind"

It means being open to new logic and new evidence and a willingness to change one's stance *in light of* any new evidence or more compelling logic.

It doesn't mean to be accepting of all kinds of unproven nonsense.

T

I am wary of superstition. I avoid it as I believe it brings bad luck.

T

I would run for president as a Tea Party candidate. The grafting opportunities are delicious.

T

Things that make me go aaaarrrrrrggggggghhhhhh in LOS:

Salesmen who go off to check something for you and never come back.

T

Standing on an elephants shit.

Slipping in it is worse...................

What's worse is standing where the elephant is just about to shit.

T

Things that make me go aaaarrrrrrggggggghhhhhh in LOS:

White guys living in Thailand who are married to brown people complaining about immigrants to their countries while simultaneously lamenting how hard it is to get resident visas for their partners.

Things that make me go aaaarrrrrrggggggghhhhhh in LOS:

Those damned rubber bands on plastic bags.

T

I been living here for over 30 years and I've still not not worked out how to remove those damn rubber bands from plastic bags, most of the time I just cut the top off with a pair of scissors. I guess when farang can easily take the rubber bands from a bag of gaeng they're really assimilated into Thai culture ;-)

I've always wanted to organise a Thailand Expat Olympics where one of the events would be how quickly participants can nearly undo a rubber band from a plastic bag.

T

Things that make me go aaaarrrrrrggggggghhhhhh in LOS:

Salesmen who go off to check something for you and never come back.

T

Things that make me go aaaarrrrrrggggggghhhhhh in LOS:

Those damned rubber bands on plastic bags.

T

I think there is a solution. But it will cost.

Sorry for the long post, but a switch in your thinking is necessary before you can see any light at the end of the tunnel.

The money you've already spent is sunk cost. Forget about it and don't feel bad, because it's the least of your problems.

Think this, and it will help:

It is their house. Always has been. Always will be. They may have expected you to pay for and make some modifications when they asked you to move in. But it is still their house. Albeit, unknowingly, you've overstepped your authority. When people make agreements and arrangements--these include a lot of unspecified, unexpressed assumptions and wishful thinking. That's why actual written contracts are so detailed and, in law, form the ENTIRE basis of any agreement.

Sibling rivalry is ever present. From your sister-in-law's vantage point, your wife's already won by marrying you. The house eventually should be hers regardless of any earlier promises made by the parents.

Your wife needs also to get out of this with dignity and grace and without feeling that she is abandoning her family.

Since the money is gone anyway, you might as well get out with grace as well.

Know that people don't take well to change, especially as they get older. Let them remodel however they please and even throw in a bit more money if necessary.

You, your kids and wife should initially rent a house nearby and move in there. The eventual plan has to be to move further away. Some separation, without cutting the cord makes it easy on your wife and on your relationship with her. Your adeptness at showing a complete lack of bitterness over your financial loss will also help your long term relationship. You can be honest with her later, when the time is right. Good relationships aren't based on complete honesty, but sensible reticence.

It doesn't matter if, for now, the family think you're an idiot. What matters is your long term relationship with your wife, your children's health and for your wife to walk out of this as a dutiful daughter.

It doesn't look to me as if they were out to rip you off, so put that out of your mind, lest it poison your actions.

Good luck.

T

Someone has to piss on the wound then deep fry some jellyfish and either wrap it on the wound or eat it.

Something like that. I'm not a doctor.

T

Judging from your previous postings over time - Thai bashing is not in your vocabulary - especially now

But BS aside, most Thais are great people as you well know by now.

Signed,

A random, albeit fairly messed up Farang

I just feel that we should judge people individually on their actions not as a group. There are plenty of Thai idiots but the same can be said for foreign idiots. I just don't buy into the all Thais are evil / stupid / out to get us. If so why so many of us have a Thai wife / gf and some Thai friends.

I sometimes get a bit bored on Thaivisa where Thais get crucified for doing stuff and with the same token we defend farangs doing the same stupid things. Then we start to complain about Thais sticking up for each-other while on here farangs can almost never make a mistake and Thais are always to blame.

I am also happy with my life.. so I dont need to bash too much to feel good.

Ugh! With all your reasonableness, you're a real TVF party proper, you know that?

T

Still not deflation, but precariously close. This is the ideal time to announce an increase in the minimum wage. The passage of the law and negotiating the various details between stakeholders may take several months. The expectation will be enough to avert deflation.

Once you get into a deflationary cycle, Its grip is vice-like, so it's best not to be too sanguine about the fact that, technically, we're not yet in deflation.

T

Who are all these people that can afford Rimping? Are there that many hiso Thai's

In Chiang Mai. Over exposure Thai style.

I had the same thought yesterday at Rimping as I jostled my way through a throng of Thais to pick up some crackers and jam. I had to break a hundred for that. How do *they* afford it??

T

On TVF, I read about this a lot. Personally, I haven't experienced it because Mrs T is not like that...oh, wait...Mrs T is saying something...

"What is it, honey, can't you see I'm busy? Oh, ok, I see."

...well she says she *is* like that.

Shows you what *I* know.

T